If the legs don't do it, go to the arm.
Ben Harmon threw for four touchdowns and ran for another as Pleasant Grove rolled past Atlanta, 48-17, on Homecoming at Hawk Stadium on Friday.
"Atlanta did a good job early on of loading the box and stopping our run," Hawk head coach Josh Gibson said. "We made an adjustment and went to the air. We had four touchdown passes in the first half. Our defense played well the entire night. I am really proud of the kids."
The Hawks, ranked 10th in Class 4A, received the Dave Campbell's Football/ U.S. Army Values Class 4A School of the Week award prior to the game.
TJ Cole had 68 yards rushing, 85 yards receiving, and three scores for Pleasant Grove.
Cole ran to paydirt on a 10-yarder to put the Hawks up 34-10 early in the third quarter. The score capped an 87-yard drive for Pleasant Grove.
Luke Anthony intercepted a Hawk pass, and Dra Nelson ran in a 3-yard touchdown for the Rabbs to make it 34-17 in the third.
But the Hawks went on a 14-0 run to seal the win. Ben Harmon had a 17-yard TD run with 11 seconds to go in the third to pad PG's lead, 41-17.
After an Atlanta punt, the Hawks marched down the field on a 72-yard drive that ended when Luke Harmon scored from two yards out with 6:13 left in the game. It would be the last score of the contest.
Pleasant Grove took a 27-10 halftime lead. Harmon threw four touchdown passes in the first half.
Atlanta got on the board first with a safety when the PG punter bobbled the snap and was tackled in the end zone.
Cole caught an 11-yard pass from Harmon to make it 7-2 with 1:59 left in the first quarter.
The Rabbits capped a 67-yard drive on the next possession with a 5-yard touchdown run by quarterback Andrew Samples. During the drive, Samples had runs of 26, 19, and 11 yards. Samples ran in the two-point conversion to
make it 10-7.
Samples attempted a pass in the second quarter but it was tipped by PG's Austin Toler, and Landon Jackson intercepted it and returned it eight yards to the Rabbs' 19-yard line.
Harmon found Xavier Benson on a 19-yard TD pass, the PAT kick failed, and the Hawks were up 13-10.
After trading punts, the Hawks stopped Atlanta on a 4th-and-1 and took over on the 50-yard line.
Pleasant Grove drove down field, and capped its drive when Carson Cox grabbed a 23-yard strike from Harmon. Hawks took a 20-10 lead.
The Rabbs' punter bobbled the ball and had a 1-yard punt as PG took over on the Atlanta 20-yard line with 1:01 left in the second quarter.
Harmon found Cole out in the flat for a 20-yard TD pass to make it 27-10.
Bruce Garret led the Hawks in rushing with 77 yards on 10 totes, while Samples paced Atlanta with 75 yards on nine carries.
Pleasant Grove (7-0, 2-0) plays at Pittsburg Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Senior Madeline Haak was named Homecoming queen prior to the game.
#
ATL 2 8 7 0 - 17
PG 7 20 14 7 - 48
First Quarter
A-Safety, punter tackled in end zone, 8:56
PG-TJ Cole 11 pass from Ben Harmon (Dillon Williams kick), 2:07
Second Quarter
A-Andrew Samples 5 run (Samples run), 11:31
PG-Xavier Benson 19 pass from Ben Harmon (kick failed), 9:56
PG-Carson Cox 23 pass from Ben Harmon (Williams kick), 2:15
PG-Cole 20 pass from Ben Harmon (Williams kick), 0:46
Third Quarter
PG-Cole 10 run (Williams kick), 7:43
A-Dra Nelson 3 run (Fernando Campos kick), 1:47
PG- Ben Harmon 17 run (Williams kick), 0:11
Fourth Quarter
PG-Luke Harmon 2 run (Williams kick), 6:13
#
=ATL=PG
First Downs=7=23
Yards Rushing=35-151=47-310
Yards Passing=24=156
Passes A-C-I=10-5-1=13-8-1
Fumbles-Lost=1-1=0-0
Penalties=3-23=10-86
Punts-Avg.=7-33.9=3-36.7
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING-Atlanta, Jawan King 17-52, Dra Nelson 6-8, Andrew Samples 9-75, Desmond Webster 2-23, team 1-(minus 7). Pleasant Grove, TJ Cole 11-68, Chauncey Martin 8-62, Bruce Garrett 10-77, Ben Harmon 4-37, Josh Roberts 2-18, Luke Harmon 5-15, James Wiggins 5-34, Jackson Cobb 1-(minus 5), Riley Durmon 1-4.
PASSING-Atlanta, Samples 5-10-1-24. Pleasant Grove, Ben Harmon 8-13-1-156.
RECEIVING-Atlanta, Kade Wood 3-32, King 1-(minus 3), Austin Brown 1-(minus 5). Pleasant Grove, Cox 2-35, Cole 4-85, Benson 2-36.